[RESOLVED] Noise When Recording Sound

I don't know if this is the proper place to ask this but here goes. I have a program called WaveLab that is used to record wav files. When I recorded a file there was a constant noise even though the mic was some 30' away. I then recorded another file with the mic disconnected and the same noise showed up. I do not have a separate sound card and use the sound on the motherboard with the mic hooked up to a mixer and then plugged into the computers sound plugs. So I guess the question is could it be the quality of the sound on the motherboard causing the noise?

Thanks


WaveLab has a forum but I have version 4 and they are up to version 7 or 8 and don't seem to care for "oldies".

Same noise in a newer version?

Try increasing the mic level when you do a recording. The noise floor aka signal to noise ratio can cause what you're hearing when the input level is too low. Especially in less expensive sound cards which are sometimes pretty noisy to begin with.

Also be sure you have the latest drivers for the card.. there may also be radio button options to boost the mic signal so experiment with that as well.

Thanks for the replies.
I do not have a soundcard. That is why I was wondering if the quality of the sound from the motherboard was not very good and could be causing the noise. I also don't want to spend another $400 for an upgraded program.

I was referring to the built-in sound "card". All of the above applies to any sound device in a PC.

Thanks for clarifying that. We did try setting on the mixer the "gain" and "trim" at many different levels and that didn't seem to make much difference except for clipping and volume.

Does the same noise appear when you record from other sources like line in?

I bought a sound card and bypassed the motherboard. Problem solved!
Thanks for the replies!